Horse-detacher.



PATENTED MAY 31, 1904.

W. SCHWARTZ.

HORSE DETAGHER. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 11'} 190;.

N0 MODEL.

Witnesses Attorney PETERS ocAwoYournu, WASNKNGTQN v c .or runaway, sothat the occupant of the ve- UNITED STATES Patented May 31, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

HQRSE-l ETACHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 761.184, dated May 31,1904.

i Application filed January 11, 1904;. Serial No. 188,642. (No model.)

To allwhom it may concern.-

Beit known that 1, 'WILLIAM SCHWARTZ, a;

.citizen of the United States, residing at Roscoe, in the county ofWashington and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and;

useful Improvements in Horse-Detachers; and I do declare the followingto be a full,"

.clear, and exact description of the invention,

horse-detaching devices.

The object of the invention is to provide a device whereby a horse maybe quickly detached from a vehicle in case of an accident hicle will notbe in danger of injury.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which may bequickly applied to the shafts of a vehicle and which will be simple inconstruction, strong, durable, reliable, inexpensive, and well adaptedto the purpose for which it is designed.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts,as will be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in theappended claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pairof shafts, showing the application of the device. Fig. 2 is an enlargeddetail plan View of one end of the swingletree, showing one of the traceconnections applied thereto.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 denotes the shafts of avehicle.

2 denotes the swingletree, which is pivotally connected to the cross-barof the shafts in the usual manner. On the outer ends of the swingletreeare secured ferrules 3, on the forward side and near the outer ends ofwhich are formed a series of lugs or ears 4, which are spaced apart, asshown, and in said ears or l'ugs are formed alined apertures 5. On theinner end of each ferrule is formed an extension 6, on which is formedan apertured lug or car 7, which corresponds and is in line with thelugs4 on the outer ends of the ferrules. A pin or bolt 8 is slidablyengaged with the apertures in the lugs 4 and 7 of each of the ferrules,and

on the inner ends of the'pins or bolts 8 are formed eyes 9, to which areconnected the ends of two cords or ropes 10, which extend inwardly andare passed through a' double pulley 12, which is loosely connected to aneye in the forward side of the swingletree. The cordsor ropes 10 afterpassing through the pulley 12 are brought together and seinner oneofthelugs 4 is secured a collar 14,and

between said collar and the lug 7 is arranged a coiled spring 15, thetension of which is normally exerted to force the pin 8 outwardlythrough the apertures in the lugs 4.

On the upper sides of the shafts, near their forward ends, are secured apair of shaft-supporting devices16, which consists of rods 17,

- having downwardly bent inner ends which are flattened and bent, as at18, to conform to the shape of the shafts. A bolt 19 is passed throughsaid fiat bent portion and through the shafts, whereby the rods 17 aresecured to the shafts, as shown. The shaft-supporting devices 16 areadapted to engage the lower ends of the shaft-supporting straps from thesaddle. (Not shown.)

On the shafts in rear of the supporting devices are secured holdbackdevices 20, which are similar in construction to the supporting devices16 and consist of rods 21, having downwardly-bent flattened inner ends22, by which they are secured to the shafts. The rods 21 are adapted toengage the backing or breeching strap, (not shown',) whereby the vehiclemay be backed when desired. The rods 17 and 21 are of suflicient lengthto prevent the disengagement of the supporting or breeching straps whenthe traces are connected to the swingletree, but which will permit saidstraps to be readily slipped therefrom when the traces are disengagedand the horse leaves the shafts.

The outer ends of the shafts are curved upwardly, as shown at 23, sothat should the horse be released when going at a considerable speed andthe shafts dropped the ends of the same would not be driven into theground by the momentum of the vehicle or strike obstructions andsuddenly stop the vehicle,,a'nd thereby throw the occupants of the sameout. By curving the outer ends of the shafts upwardly they will becaused to slide over the small obstructions which might be in their pathand will also be prevented from digging into the ground and perhapsbroken.

In hitching up the horse to the vehicle the supporting and breechingstraps are slipped over the ends of the rods 17 and 21 and to cockeye onthe ends of the traces engaged with the pins or bolts 8 between two ofthe lugs 4:. When in case of accident or from any other cause it isdesired to quickly detach the horse from thevehicle, all that isnecessary is to give the cords 10 a slight pull, which willsimultaneously withdraw the pins or bolts 8 from engagement with thecockeyes on the traces and causing the same to drop, thus permitting thehorse to leave the shafts.

While the invention has been shownand described in connection with asingle team,

it will be' obvious that the same may be ap-.

plied with equal advantage to double teams for releasing both horses.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the inventionwill be readily understood without requiring a more extendedexplanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion,

In a horse releasing attachment for vehicles, a swingletree 2 providedupon each end with a ferrule 3, each ferrule having a series of integrallugs or ears 4 at its outer end,

'said lugs or ears being formed with alined apertures 5, and provided atits inner end at its forked side with an extensionfi formed withanaperturedear 7 disposed in the plane of the ears 4, a bolt 8 slidablelongitudinally in said ears 4 and 7 and provided with the eye 9 andcollar 14, the latter adapted to engage the inner ear- 4 to limit theoutward movement of said bolt, a coiled spring 15 surrounding the boltbetween the ear 7 and collar 14:, a double direction-sheave 12 disposedat the center of theswingletree, and flexible connections 10 attached attheir outer ends to the eyes 9 of the bolts, extending inwardlytherefrom to the center of theswingletree,

passed around the double sheave, and con-' 7 nected at their inner endsfor simultaneous operation, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing wit-

